First time in the UK for Alyssa as American Idiot heads for Southampton

Published:10:05Sunday 07 October 2012

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Alyssa DiPalma is on her first-ever visit to the UK with Green Day’s smash-hit musical American Idiot (Mayflower Theatre, Southampton, Tuesday-Saturday October 9-13).

Direct from Broadway, the show tells the story of three lifelong friends forced to choose between their dreams and the safety of suburbia. Their quest for true meaning in a post-9/11 world leads them on an exhilarating journey - all to a Green Day soundtrack.

For those yet to see it, Alyssa says: “I would definitely expect a lot of fantastic music, high energy and a

truly truly good time. There is a lot of truth and honesty in this show.

“It’s one of those that makes you take a step back and think about where you kind of fit in the world. But it also does a great job of rocking anyone’s face off!

“The intention was always there that the album would become a stage or film version. It’s a concept album so it’s got a plot built into the songs already, so Green Day worked with Michael Mayer and Tom Kitt to create new characters and plotlines and arrangements to feed the already present storyline.

“The most amazing thing about Green Day is that they have always had the ability to connect with all age groups. They continue to gain new fans and hold onto older ones and so their fan base is huge and so supportive. This particular show, especially with our cast being younger than previous ones, really drives the point home that you have to make mistakes to get where you need to go. It shows that we’re all on a journey and a path and we might fall off of that path, but we’ll get where we need to be eventually.

“The lyrics are so poetic and it really shows the band’s versatility and ability to connect to fans on so many different emotional levels. I think that this show shows the true range of the human emotion and human connection, and that’s not us doing that on stage, that’s Green Day, that’s the music.”

Alyssa plays Whatsername “a city girl who lives her own life without apology.”

“Johnny falls in love with her and I’ve always kind of seen her as the angel on his shoulder, pulling him away from the force that St Jimmy has on him and bringing him into a world that is real and tangible and full of emotion and

passion. She’s exciting and passionate about everything, intriguing to Johnny. She’s tough as nails and stands her ground to a fault, but she’s also compassionate and nurturing. But most of all she’s a lot of fun! She really forces him to reevaluate a lot of his choices and has a huge effect on his life.

“I started auditioning for the show this past March and we did a workshop in May and started rehearsals in July! I saw it on Broadway three years ago and have been dreaming about being in it every since, so it’s a huge honour to be a part of it!”